First Look: Qué Sazón y Unos Cuantos Más

Alejandro Macias’ mission for Qué Sazón y Unos Cuantos Más, the recently opened food truck in the back of Daydreamer on 1708 East Sixth, is simple: “We are here to showcase what true Mexicanidad is.” 

“It’s not just partying and spicy food,” the owner says. “There’s a lot of family values. There’s a lot of respect [for] others and a feeling that all belong here.”

The story behind Qué Sazón stretches back to when Macias was a child in Monterrey, Mexico, where his mother ran a neighborhood “fonda” – an unpretentious mom and pop eatery. “It’s meant for the working class,” he says. “They’re usually run by all ladies: abuelas, tías, mothers. They’re providing for the family while the men are out at work and on the fields.” 

The fonda was called Qué Sazón. Although his mother eventually had to close the restaurant, Macias always wanted to bring it back. He ended up leaving his hometown for Austin, and it was here in Texas that he began refining his craft while working in well-known local restaurants like Chi’Lantro BBQ and Discada.

After doing a few pop-ups, Macias and his wife Jennifer Camacho brought the Qué Sazón concept back as a food stand that sold salsas and chilaquiles – a “perfect brunch item,” Macias says – at the Texas Farmers Market in Mueller; they even opened a short-lived food truck at Hotel Vegas called Clandestino. 

“There were tacos, there were other options like kolaches and stuff, but there wasn’t really any Mexican breakfast or brunch dishes,” Macias recalls. “I felt like there was a lack of that on the market and that this [was] gonna be something that’s gonna make a big splash.”

Macias credits the Austin community for helping him and his wife launch their business, from his friends at Discada to the Siete Foods Juntos Fund – which awards $400,000 to underserved communities’ education, entrepreneurship, and wellness – to fellow Austin chef Beto Robledo of Cuantos Tacos. It was Robledo who gave Macias his food truck so that Macias could get back in the game after Clandestino closed. 

“We’ve been very blessed with the community, the people that have known us and the people that have seen something in us and believe in what we’re doing,” Macias says. “If it wasn’t for those friends, we wouldn’t be here, you know? I feel like that’s been our biggest blessing.”

Now in the backyard of nightlife hotspot Daydreamer, Qué Sazón has evolved from its original concept, serving tacos, tostadas, and quesadillas as well as daily specials like their famous chilaquiles and burritos. “My wife being from the Juarez/El Paso area – Juarez-style burritos are definitely a thing out there – so we wanted to pay homage to our culture and what we grew up eating,” says Macias. The chile colorado burrito features a flavorful red sauce with beef and potato filling that I quickly devoured.

I was also impressed by the carnitas and campechano tacos, along with the chilaquiles. The carnitas were crispy and flavorful, a far cry from the pulled pork-esque style you sometimes find in Austin. “A lot of people, they get that misunderstanding of what carnitas are,” Macias points out. “They tend to have them more on the juicy end, and it’s good, don’t get me wrong, but that’s not carnitas. Every place has a different way, but for us, we really want to emphasize that bark in that crispiness of them.”

The chilaquiles were a hearty brunch meal, with the combination of chips, beans, eggs, salsa, and chicken making for a great refresher after a night of drinking mezcal margaritas or tequila sodas. Macias views his chilaquiles with pride and you can’t blame him for wanting to emphasize Mexican cuisine beyond the normal taco truck fare. 

“I could say, very humbly, that I believe my chilaquiles are some of the best in the city and I take a lot of pride in what I make with them,” he says. “One of the things that we always wanted to do is, yes, showcase tacos, because tacos are like our king in Mexico. But there are other components of Mexican food that we love to showcase. The main thing for us is to be rooted into what is authentic Mexican and to put out that fonda-style type food, the things that are also our Mexican food, but they’re not so known.”

Macias waxes poetic about what his family business means to the ATX spirit. “There’s still spots around the corner like those old mom and pops, those places you can see that still have the identity of what the city has shifted away from,” he says. “So the question is, how can we keep doing that? How can we keep: one, being present in this city – especially as Mexican-Americans or la raza – and then also keep that quirkiness and weirdness of the city? I feel like it’s about giving out chances to those that are prodigies in the area.” 

Certainly, with his re-entry to East Sixth, the community has spoken about making sure that those chances are given to help those with talent reach their goals.

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